Solder flux applying device



Patented Mar. 13, 1934 SOLDER FLUX APPLYING DEVICE William H. Brooks, Oconomowoc, Wis., assignor to Carnation Company, Oconomowoc, Wis, a corporation of Delaware Application February 18, 1933, Serial No. 657,399

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a solder flux applying device, and has for its general object and purpose to provide simple and reliably operating means for rapidly applying a suitable fluxing substance to a selected surface portion of articles, such for instance as metal cans or containers in which food products of various kinds are vended.

It has heretofore been the practice to provide one of the can ends or heads with a filling open- 10 ing or orifice through which the liquid or semiplastic food product is filled into the can and the displaced air vented therefrom. The filling opening is then sealed by first applying a fluxing agent to the metal around the edges thereof and then sealing said opening with solder which is permanently united to the can head by the flux. As disclosed in my pending application, Serial No. 634,324, filed September 22, 1932, in the automatic sealing of the cans in this manner, owing to the inability of the flux to deoxidize the surface of the can at the end of the filling hole or orifice by reason of the presence of foreign matter such as the overflowing contents of the can, imperfect sealing frequently results. Also, due to the excessive oxidation of the oil coating on cans usually made from tin plate, or from rust occasioned by long exposure of the can to moisture-laden air, proper sealing of the cans is rendered very dificult.

Therefore, in accordance with my said application, I pro-pose to apply the fluxing substance prior to the filling of the can, and preferably immediately succeeding the manufacture of the can, in order thereby to prevent contamination of the can surface for the reasons above referred to.

It is the purpose of my present invention to provide a mechanism or device operating in timed relation with a conveyer upon which the cans are carried, preferably in inverted position, for ap- 40 plying the fluxing substance economically, though in adequate quantity, to the metal surface around the filling opening of the can, whereby this operation may be very rapidly performed and at a comparatively small expense.

In one practical embodiment of the invention, I provide rotating turrets at each side of the can conveyer for properly positioning the cans accurately with respect to a series of rotatable elements mounted below the conveyer, and through means of which the fiuxing substance is properly applied to the can surface around the filling opening or orifice. This rotatable applying means may be either power-driven or may be operated through frictional pressure of the cans upon the rotatable turrets which are geared to said applying means.

In a simple example of the invention, the fluxing substance may be supplied to a pan or container through which the applying elements successively pass and thereby acquire a coating of said substance. If desired, however, the fiuxing substance may be supplied under pressure and delivered through bores or ducts in the applying elements to the surfaces of the cans. Again, each of the flux applying elements may be rotated about its own axis through suitable gearing, as said elements are bodily rotated about a common axis at right angles thereto, which Will result in a more equal distribution of the fluxing substance to the can surface around the edge of the filling opening.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved solder flux applying device, and in the form, construction and relative arrangement of its several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings wherein I have disclosed several simple and practical embodiments of the invention, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several vieWs,-

Figure 1 is a plan View illustrating one embodiment of my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, certain parts being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2

Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary elevation partly in section showing an alternative embodiment of one feature of the device; and

Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating a further modification.

The several parts of the apparatus are suitably mounted and arranged with respect to a can conveyer in the illustrated application of my invention. In the present instance, this conveyer is shown as consisting of a horizontally moving wire rope or cable 5 which may be supported at suitable intervals by sheaves, one of which is shown at 6, and which are journalled upon supporting brackets fixed to the horizontal flange '7 of an angle bar, said conveyer cable being disposed above and in spaced relation to said flange. The vertical flange 8 of said angle bar constitutes a guide rail at one side of the can indicated at C, a second guide rail 9, being spaced from the rail 8 and cooperating with the latter to restrict trans verse shifting movement of the cans relative to the conveyer.

In a suitable frame 10 which may be rigidly fixed in any suitable manner to the flanges 7 and 8 of the angle bar, vertically disposed shafts 11 are journalled at opposite sides of the can conveyer. Turrets 12 are fixed upon the upper ends of said shafts, each of the turrets including vertically spaced heads 13 provided With the peripheral cavities 14 adapted to embrace the cans at one side thereof, while the radial arms 15 between these cavities project between adjacent cans to space the same apart on the conveyer. While the cavities 14 are shown of the shape requisite to receive cylindrical cans, it Will be understood that they may be otherwise formed to receive cans of other shapes.

Below the shafts 11 a horizontally disposed shaft 16 is journalled in suitable bearings on the frame 10, and is connected with the lower ends of said shafts 11 by the miter gears indicated at 17. To the shaft 16, a hub 18 is fixed, and in the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, a plurality of prongs or arms 19 are radially adjustable in said hub and may be fixed in their adjusted positions by means of the nuts 20. Each of the arms 19 at its outer end terminates in a conical tip 21, which is adapted to pass through the fluxing substance indicated at F contained in the pan 22, suitably supported beneath the hub 18 and fed with the fluxing substance from the inverted container shown at 23, which is clamped or otherwise mounted on an arm or bracket 24 projecting laterally from the frame 10. The fiux material may be dissolved in a liquid carrier such as alcohol, or hydrocarbons having a low boiling point and rapid evaporation without objectionable residue. Preferably, this fluxing substance is of an adhesive or tacky character so that it will readily accumulate upon and adhere to the tips or points 21 of the arms 19. I have found that these arms or the tips 21 thereof may be made of metal, wood, bamboo, canvas, felt or other analogous materials, the selection thereof depending largely upon the consistency of the fiuxing substance.

The cans C having the central filling opening I or orifice O in one end thereof, immediately after fabrication, are placed in inverted position upon the conveyer cable 5 by which they are carried or conveyed to the turrets 12. These turrets may be power-driven if desired by providing a driving connection with the belt pulley or wheel 25 fixed on the shaft 16. Thus the cans will be successively received in the corresponding opposed recesses or cavities 14 of the turret heads 13 and by said turret heads, thus accurately positioned,

. with the filling opening or orifice O of the can disposed substantially in the vertical plane of the axis of shaft 16. Assaid shaft rotates in the direction of movement of the conveyer 5, each v prong or arm 19, after passing through the pan apart of said cans, as heretofore noted, being determined by the thickness of the arms 15 of the turret heads. When the prong tip 21 leaves the perpendicular position, it also engages the opposite edge of the filling opening 0. Practice has shown, however, that perfect contact between the surface of the tip 21 and the edge of the filling opening is not required, since the fluxing substance by pressure of the tip against the can end spreads into a thin film, such spreading of the film being accelerated by the evaporation of the solvent. In this manner, the fluxing substance can be properly applied around the edges of the filling hole to prevent oxidation of the metal, and in practice, the apparatus has been operated at a speed of 450 cans per minute.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings, I have illustrated an alternative embodiment of the invention, in which the cylindrical prongs or arms 19 are rotatably mounted in the hub 18, each of said prongs having fixed thereto, intermediate of its ends, the miter gear 26 in constant mesh with a ring gear 27 suitably fixed to one of the bearings for the shaft 16. Thus in the rotation of the hub, it will be understood that each of said prongs is individualy rotated about its own axis so that in passing through the pan 22, the fluxing substance is gathered in adequate quantity upon the tip of the prong or arm, and will also be more equally distributed to the surface of the can around the edge of the filling opening 0.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings, a further modfication is illustrated in which a fixed shaft section 16 and a rotatable shaft section 16 are arranged in alignment, said fixed shaft section having a head 18 and an axial bore extending there through into said head. In this case, the hub 18a carrying the radially disposed prongs or arms is rotataby mounted in any suitable mannerupon the head 18. This head is provided with a radial duct 28' communicating with the central bore and adapted to register with similar ducts 28 extending ax ally through the prongs or arms on the hub 18a. The ducts 28 at their outer ends are bifurcated and open on the surfaces of the com cal tips 21' of the armsor prongs to thereby spray the fiuxing substance upon the can surface at the edge of the filling opening 0. In this arrangement,from any sutable source of flux supply as, for instance, a supply reservoir or tank in which flux is maintained under pressure or by a pressure pump, the flux is fed under pressure through a suitable piping connected with the fixed shaft section 16' to the axial bore in the head 18', thence passing to the duct 28' and through the same to each of the ducts28 as the latter are brought successively into register with said duct 28' during the rotation of the hub 18a. In this way, flux may be supplied and delivered under pressure to the ducts in the radially disposed prongs or arms of the hub 18a for application to the filling openings 0 of the cans C. Inasmuch as pressure devices such as tanks and pumps, suitable for supplying flux under pressure to the axial bore in the head 18' are well known in the practical art and trade, and as these devices form no part of the present invention, no illustrations thereof need be presented herein. A drip collecting pan 30 is suitably mounted beneath the rotating hub 18 to receive the waste fiux and the drain from the radial prongs or arms.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, the several disclosed embodiments of my present invention will be clearly and fully understood. It is in place to remark here that, instead of driv-. ing the turrets and the hub 18 by power applied to the shaft 16, as herein illustrated, the device may be self operated by permitting the cans advancing toward the turrets to accumulate on the cable 5 in such number, that their combined forward momentum as they move with the cable and their combined frictional resistance or inertia upon the cable, being transmitted to the can in contact with the turrets 12, will cause the rotation of said turrets and the reception of the successive cans in the recesses or cavities l l of the turret heads. Thereby, also, it will be understood that the hub 18 will be rotated in syn chronism with the turrets through the gearing 17 to properly apply the fluxing substance. The apparatus, in any one of the several forms thereof above described, will operate in a very positive and reliable manner to accomplish the purpose in view and insure the rapid and adequate application of the fluxing substance to the can surface so as to protect the latter against contamination and assure a proper union of the sealing solder with the can wall when the solder is applied after the can has been filled. It is evident, however, that my present purpose might 25 be attained by still other combinations of mechanical elements, and it is accordingly to be understood that I reserve t is privilege of incorporating the essential features of my present invention in such other alternative structures,

as may be fairly considered within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the kind described, a can conveyer movable in its longitudinal direction, rotatable means mounted below the conveyor and having a plurality of radially disposed iiux applying members provided at their outer ends with means for applying iluxing substance to the edge of a filling opening in one end of the can, and rotatable turrets mounted adjacent opposite sides of the conveyor and operatively connected with said rotatable means to be operated in synchronisin therewith, said turrets having above the plane of the conveyor projecting parts cooperating together to engage and embrace in succession cans being conveyed and eifective to accurately position each embraced can for the engagement with its filling opening of one of the flux applying members in one position of the latter.

2. In apparatus of the kind described, means for supporting and conveying cans in upright position with an end thereof provided with a filling opening engaged upon the conveyor, means rotatably mounted below the conveyor including a plurality of radially disposed in applying men bers, a container for fiuxing substance through which the outer end portions of said members successively pass, rotatably mounted turret means including peripheral concavities above the conveyer means to engage and position in succession the cans being conveyed and effective to accurately align the filling opening of each can embraced thereby with one of said flux-applying a plurality of radially disposed flux applying me1nbers, rotatably mounted turret means geared to said rotatable means and including peripheral concavities above the conveyer to engage and po sition in succession the cans being conveyed by the conveyor to accurately align the filling openings of the cans with the respective flux applying members in one position or" the latter, and means for supplying said members with a mixing substance at another point in the rotation thereof.

l. In apparatus for applying a fluxing substance to the surface or" a can at the rim of the filling opening therein, a rotatably mounted hub having spaced radially projecting flux applying members provided at their outer ends with surfaces to enter the filling openings of the cans, means for supplying fiuxing substance to said surfaces of the flux applying members, means for conveying the cans, and a rotatably mounted turret having peripheral concavities to engage and embrace in succession the cans being conveyed, the said turret being effective to position each can embraced thereby and accurately align its filling opening with the respective flux-applying member in one position of the latter.

5. In apparatus for applying a fluxing substance to the surface of a can at the rim of the filling opening therein, a rotatably mounted hub having spaced radially projecting flux applying members provided at their outer end with tips to enter the filling openings of the cans, each of said members having an axial duct opening upon the surface of said tip, means for supplying a iiuxing substance under pressure to said surface through said duct, conveying means for the can, and. rotatably mounted turrets having cooperating arms adapted to embrace and position the can being conveyed to accurately align the filling opening of the can with the respective flux-applying member in one position of the latter.

6. In apparatus for applying a fluxing substance to the surface of a can at the edge of a filling opening therein, the combination of a container for the fluxing substance, a rotatable hub, a plurality of radially projecting flux applying members rotatably mounted said hub, the other ends of said members moving through the fluxing substance in said container, means for rotating each individual flux applying member about its own axis in the rotation of said hub, conveying means for the can, a pair of rotatable turrets having cooperating arms adapted to embrace and position the can being conveyed to accurately align the filling opening of the can with the respective flux-applying member in one position of the latter.

'7. In solder flux applying apparatus for cans, a conveyer mechanism traveling in the direction of its length for supporting and conveying a succession of cans each 01 which has a filling opening in its end, flux-applying means comprising a r0- tating hub having a plurality of radial arms adapted each to carry and deposit flux and contact a can in the succession of cans being conveyed, and means for successively positioning the cans being conveyed so that as each is positioned, its filling opening will be engaged by a radial arm to receive a deposit of fiux therefrom, said means comprising rotating turrets disposed adjacent opposite sides of the conveyor and having lateral projections cooperating together to embrace and center each can between them, said lateral projections operating in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of the operation of said radial arms.

8. In a solder iiux-applying apparatus for cans, the combination of a rotary flux feed mechanism 9. The combination with a rotating flux feed mechanism having a radial point contact fluxapplying member, of means for positioing a can so that its filling opening will be engaged by said flux-applying member, comprising a pair of rotating turrets disposed with their axes at the opposite sides of the plane of rotation of. the flux-applying member and having laterally projecting concave portions cooperating together to receive and center the can between the turrets.

WILLIAM H. BROOKS. 

